Teaching sequence

Work through this resource material in the following sequence:

10 minutes – Tune in: Setting up the challenge
20 minutes – Find out: STEM think tank
40 minutes – Take action: STEM build
20 minutes – Reflection

Tune in: Setting up the challenge

Step 1.

Display the STEM challenge statement, guidelines and rules on the board and talk them through with the students (also on the Student Worksheet):

STEM challenge: To create a new, purposeful object using items from the class junk drawer.

Challenge guidelines: Each team can use...

… up to four junk drawer items to construct a new object.
… two or more different binding materials of only 1.5 metres in length in total. Materials could be string, masking tape, soft wire, etc. (e.g. one metre of masking tape and 50cm of string = 1.5m).
… one elastic band (optional).
… only 30 minutes to construct their object.

Rules:

Teams should have no more than four members. You can also work alone.
Team must work together in a positive way and include all team members.
Each team must describe how Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths are used in their design.
Each team will share their design ideas and final creation with the class.

Step 2.

Invite students to look at the items that have been collected in the class junk drawer. Hold up some of the items to show what is available. Scatter the items on a table where students can later access them.

Step 3.

Explain to students that they will re-purpose some of these items into a new design that has a specific purpose or function.

Step 4.

Explore the following questions with the class, using three items as examples:

How were these items intended to be used?
How could we combine them to make a new object?
What purpose would this new object have?
How would we demonstrate the use of Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths in this new design?

Step 5.

Answer any questions the students might have and refer back to the challenge guidelines as needed.

Find out: STEM think tank

Step 1.

Organise the students into their challenge teams. Invite each team up separately to the junk draw table and ask them to select one to two items initially.

Step 2.

Once each team has their first set of items, invite groups back to the table to choose more items if they wish - to a maximum of four per group.

This split process is designed to make the process fairer for teams who go later. However, you could also have teams select all their items at once, or send one person per team up to the table all at once to select the items.

Step 3.

Once the teams have selected their final items, send them back to their tables/areas to begin planning.

Step 4.

Provide each student with a copy of the Student Worksheet where they can write down their ideas and inspiration and confirm the final idea for the object design. Remind students that they need to write down how they are using Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths in their design, as per the challenge guidelines.

Step 5.

Remind students that the items selected need to be incorporated into the object design that the team develops. Explain that during this think tank (planning session) students should share their creative ideas and explore possibilities. Encourage students to offer as many ideas as possible and to be open to all suggestions shared by team members until one idea is decided on by the team. It is important at this stage that all team members have the opportunity to contribute their ideas.

Note: Some students might like to sketch their design ideas and others will prefer to write them. Either approach is ok.

Step 6.

Set the teams to work! You might like to set a timer for this planning activity. Ten minutes is a good timeframe.

Step 7.

Once teams have agreed on their design, ask them to find another group and share their design ideas with each other. Allow each team one minute to share and one minute to receive feedback (four minutes total). Use a timer.

Take action: STEM build

The build will be completed in 30 minutes. This time will be broken down into three parts that are 10 minutes each. This approach keeps the students working on task and sets clear expectations.

Step 1.

Ensure students have access to binding materials, measuring tape/rules (to measure out 1.5 meters of binding materials) and scissors or other tools.

Step 2.

Set the timer for 30 minutes and say “Ready, Set, Go!” Start the timer.

Step 3.

While students are working, call out the remaining time at 10 minute intervals (20 minutes to go, 10 minutes to go).

Use this time to observe the groups and to identify which groups may need support.

Move around the room and ask STEM questions. For example:

What is the function of this object?
How is your design using Science, Technology Engineering or Maths? (Choose one to focus on.)
What challenges are you facing? How are you working to resolve these?

Step 4.

Once the time limit has been reached, call out to stop building.

Step 5.

Instruct students to quickly clean up so their object and design can be clearly seen.

Step 6.

When the room is reasonably tidy, ask teams to gather around their object and be quiet. Conduct a spotlight activity so each group can share their creations.

If visibility is an issue, take a picture of the creation and show it on an interactive TV or board while the students are presenting.

Ensure each group explains how their object works, what materials they used (including their 1.5m allowance of binding materials) and how it demonstrates the use of Science, Technology, Engineering or Maths. Allow them to reflect briefly on their challenges and triumphs.

Allow students to provide feedback to other teams using the following sentence stems:

I really like…
I can see how you…
Did you consider…?

Reflection

Invite students to go back to their Student Worksheet and complete the reflection questions:

What was the hardest part of the junk drawer challenge?
What was the biggest achievement your team made today?
What did you do (personally) in this lesson that you’re most proud of?
Is there anything you would change about your design/object?
What is one thing you learned today that you’ll remember?

Differentiated learning

Extension:

The STEM challenges can be expanded to include more time once the initial build is completed. The extension includes a redesign phase where the students are able to reflect on their design, make improvements and recreate.
Students could have a mini showcase where groups show their creations to other classes.
Students could create an advertisement for their new object (print, film or radio).
You might like to provide useful items/materials that student can add to their object design, such as clock motors and arms, or batteries/circuits. This task can be as ‘technical’ as you want to make it. If you feel comfortable working with robots or electronics, you could use the junk drawer items to create hybrid objects (combining new and old materials).

Provisions for learning support:

Ensure that all students are working in a team environment where they are comfortable and will feel included. In some cases, this may mean they work alone.
Because the design task is relatively open-ended, students can select items they feel comfortable working with and work within their own limits. Keep an eye out for students who may need extra support with this task, as they may not be the students you generally expect.
If students are struggling, you may decide to remove limitations on the task, such as allowing the use of additional binding materials or glue.

STEM - Junk Drawer Design Challenge

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